The present invention relates generally to a system and method for transferring knowledge in the context of a game, and relates more particularly to a system and method for game-based education or training.
The concept of using games to assist in education or training has been implemented in a variety of settings, with a variety of techniques. One advantageous aspect of education by employing a game is that the incentives or rewards provided in a game setting can increase motivation, which is an important factor in learning and cognitive advancement. With the use of computer and computer networks, educational and training exercises are made available on a flexible and wide-spread basis. Computer program applications are available for a variety of disciplines to help educate and train the user, without necessarily having an instructor be present. These types of computer based education and training applications tend to be somewhat rote, as they rely on rote repetition for knowledge assimilation.
Computer systems have also been used to host recreational games or entertainment on an individual or group basis. For example, some internet based games permit players at computer terminals around the world to cooperatively join in a group oriented game. An example of such a game is an adventure game in which one or more players overcome various obstacles or attain certain goals within the context of the adventure setting, sometimes being rewarded for teamwork. One aspect often included in these types of games is a maze-like setting, which the player or players navigate to attain certain goals, such as finding an object or engaging an opponent. In these types of settings, the players choose the path to take through the labyrinth or maze. These types of games are well-known for their motivational impact on the players, often causing players to spend hours of time attempting to solve a problem, overcome obstacles or attain goals that are presented in the game.
A variety of other maze-like games are also available in various settings, such as gaming or slot machine environments. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0137981 provides a game with a matrix having an entrance and an exit, with awards given on the basis of various criteria related to the maze, such as path taken or patterns formed. With the widespread popularity of these types of recreational games, it should be possible to model “serious” games for education and training after some of the elements presented in popular recreational games. By including elements of recreational games in an educational or training game application, a user already familiar with popular recreational games may be more inclined to be motivated to learn or to train using the educational game because of some of the same motivational rewards that are offered in relation to recreational games.
Computer systems for educating or training individuals in a game setting have been developed for wide-spread use, typically in the context of games for children, to learn fundamental subjects such as the alphabet, spelling, numbers and simple arithmetic operations. In addition, a number of computer system applications provide education related entertainment or games for educating and training students in a variety of disciplines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,888 provides a computer aided learning system and method that permits a student to answer questions, provide feed-back and reach defined milestones to receive a reward, typically in the form of entertainment.
An example of an educational game is provided with the encyclopedia program called Encarta published by Microsoft® Corporation, which combines a question and answer format with a labyrinth-type setting. The user provides answers to questions posed by the program, and their representative location in the labyrinth remains the same if a wrong answer is given. If a correct answer is given, the user may choose the direction in which to move in the labyrinth.
Another type of game to be used for educational purposes is accessible on the internet and referred to as EnglishMaze. The game is not in the form of a maze, but rather presents the user with a series of questions designed to familiarize the user with typical social situations in which appropriate responses are desired. The exercise leads to a successful outcome if the user correctly answers the questions related to the given social situation. If the user incorrectly answers a question, they may be informed of the incorrect response immediately or after several other questions are posed, or may be informed that there may be a better answer, i.e. the game provides a hint that the answer selected may not be correct. After being informed of an incorrect answer, or an unsuccessful outcome, the user is informed of their error, and permitted to respond to the question or series of questions again. The choices provided in the given situation are typically subjective in nature, such as choosing an appropriate topic of conversation or an appropriate dish for a hosted dinner party. That is, the user is not required to learn factual information to navigate the presented situations, but rather is encouraged to enhance an intuitive understanding of the use of English in a given setting.
One of the challenges in educating or training a student in numerous disciplines is to have the student assimilate a large body of factual information. In addition, the student integrates the assimilated facts into an appropriate conceptual framework. Often, the volume of factual information to be conveyed to students poses a significant dilemma for teachers and instructors with respect to the challenges of conveying facts versus assisting students in understanding relationships concerning factual information and integrating the knowledge.